Device to count and dispense articles

ABSTRACT

A singulating and counting device includes a bulk housing for storing a plurality of substantially identical articles, an exit channel, and in the exit channel, forwardly- and rearwardly-directed jet apertures, each of which is fluidly connected to a positive pressure source. A forwardly-directed jet generated by the positive pressure source through the forward jet aperture can accelerate singulated articles in the exit channel, thereby increasing the interval between individual articles and rendering them more easily and accurately counted. A rearwardly-directed jet generated by the positive pressure source through the rearwardly-directed jet aperture can cause articles in the exit channel to return to the housing. A controller operatively connected with the pressure source(s) selectively controls the application of positive pressure to the aforementioned apertures to induce or halt singulation of the articles; the controller may be operatively associated with a sensor that detects and counts articles passing through the exit channel.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO PROVISIONAL APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application SerialNo. 60/306,782, filed Jul. 20, 2001 entitled Device to Count andDispense Articles, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety as if set forth fully herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed generally to the dispensing of objects, andmore particularly to dispensing singulated objects.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The problem of counting and dispensing a predetermined quantity from abulk of small articles exists for a multitude of items and processes.Exemplary items include comestibles such as candies and breath mints,machine components such as bolts, nuts and other fasteners, valuablessuch as diamonds and other gemstones, vitamins, and the like.

The problem has been addressed using multiple approaches. For example, acavity-filling device sized to physical particulars of a specificarticle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,775,941 to Bross. As anotherexample, a device that counts total weight using a calibratedpieceweight measurement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,525 toKnothe et al. As an additional example, a device employing a vibratoryfeeder to singulate (and thus enable counting) is disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 6,182,718 to Seaton. As yet another example, a device that employs avacuum to separate and count a fixed, but predetermined number ofobjects is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,302 to Leu et al. Theseveral devices and techniques exemplified above individually providevarying levels of performance in key operational parameters such asspeed, accuracy, universality (adaptability), size, complexity, andcost. But few, if any, provide a high level of measure in more than oneor two of the above parameters. Cavity fillers of the type described inBross are typically bulky and suitable only for articles that closelymatch the cavity size. Vibratory counters like that disclosed in Seatonare ordinarily bulky and can be difficult to tune (i.e., configure).Weight counters like that described in Knothe can be inaccurate due topiece-weight variability. Vacuum-based systems such as that shown in Leuet al. are typically complex, slow and difficult to calibrate.

In view of the foregoing, a singulating device which is fast, accurate,small, easy to configure, reliable, and nearly universal would bedesirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to devices and methods for rapidly andaccurately counting and dispensing a predetermined quantity of articlesfrom a bulk supply of such articles. The devices include a bulk housingfor storing a plurality of substantially identical articles and an exitchannel. As a first aspect, a device of the present invention alsoincludes, in the exit channel, a forwardly-directed jet aperture and arearwardly-directed jet aperture, each of which is fluidly connected toa positive pressure source. A forwardly-directed jet generated by thepositive pressure source through the forward jet aperture can acceleratesingulated articles in the exit channel, thereby increasing the intervalbetween individual articles and rendering them more easily andaccurately counted. A rearwardly-directed jet generated by the positivepressure source through the rearwardly-directed jet aperture can causearticles in the exit channel to return to the housing. A controlleroperatively connected with the pressure source(s) selectively controlsthe application of positive pressure to the aforementioned apertures toinduce or halt singulation of the articles; the controller may beoperatively associated with a sensor that detects and counts articlespassing through the exit channel.

As a second aspect of the invention, a singulating device having a bulkhousing and an exit channel includes a jet aperture positioned acrossthe bulk housing from the exit channel. The jet nozzle is fluidlyconnected with a positive pressure source, which in turn is connectedwith a controller that selectively controls the application of positivepressure through the jet aperture. This configuration can produce a jetthat urges articles in the housing to travel toward the exit channel.

As a third aspect of the present invention, a singulating device havinga bulk housing and an exit channel includes an article-orienting unitthat has a pair of panels that, in concert with an upstream portion ofthe exit channel, define an entry space that permits an oblong or oblatearticle to enter the exit channel only in a longitudinal orientation inwhich the longest dimension of the article is generally parallel to adownstream flow path. The upstream ends of the panels extend upstreamaway from the exit channel and are spaced such that an oblong or oblatearticle entering the entry space in a transverse orientation in whichits longest dimension is generally perpendicular to the downstream flowpath that strikes the exit channel's upstream portion and is re-orientedto the longitudinal orientation in which passage through the exitchannel is permitted. In one embodiment, the panels are parallel withone another, and the articles are reoriented when striking eitherexposed edge of the exit channel upstream portion. In a secondembodiment, a third panel perpendicular to the first two panels isincluded, such that the entry space is generally rectangular. In a thirdembodiment, the panels are hinged to one another and pivot about a pivotaxis that is parallel to the direction of flow, such that the entryspace (which is adjustable) is generally triangular. In any of theseembodiments, the function of the panels is to orient the objects into adesired attitude for entry into the exit channel.

In singulating devices with these aspects of the invention, individualarticles can enter the exit channel from the housing and travel throughthe exit channel in single file and with an interval sufficient to allowaccurate detection and precise counting of the articles. The pneumatic,reversible nature of the device can enable the handling of a large rangeof sizes and shapes with a single device configuration. Furthermore,this same feature allows simple adjustments to be applied to handle aneven broader range of sizes. The ability to control the various airflowspermits the mechanism to be implemented in a volume not significantlylarger than a small portion of the bottom of a bulk storage chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial cutaway perspective view of the singulating andcounting device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is a side section view of the device of FIG. 1 showing both theforward jet valve and the rear jet valve closed.

FIG. 3B is a side section view of the device of FIG. 1 showing theforward jet valve open and the rear jet valve closed.

FIG. 3C is a side section view of the device of FIG. 1 showing theforward jet valve closed and the rear jet valve open.

FIGS. 4A-4C are front, top and side views of an exemplary article to besingulated with the device of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 5A-5C are end section views of the article-orienting unit of thedevice of FIG. 1 showing how the unit admits passage of a properlylongitudinally-oriented article (FIG. 5A), prevents passage of ahorizontal, transversely-oriented article (FIG. 5B), and re-orients avertical, transversely-oriented article for proper entry into the exitchannel (FIG. 5C).

FIGS. 6A and 6B are end section views of an alternative embodiment of anarticle-orienting unit according to the present invention that enablesthe size of the opening therein to be adjusted.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are end section views of another embodiment of anarticle-orienting unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating a method of singulating articlesaccording to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter, inwhich preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This inventionmay, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construedas limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, theseembodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough andcomplete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to thoseskilled in the art. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elementsthroughout. Thicknesses and dimensions of some components may beexaggerated for clarity.

Referring now to the drawings, a singulating device, illustrated broadlyat 10, is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The device 10 includes a bulkarticle housing 11 in which a plurality of small articles A aresuspended in fluidized motion. The housing 11 includes a surroundingwall 12, a floor 13, and a ceiling 14. The wall 12 may be continuous orsegmented (i.e., it may comprise multiple contiguous walls), may have adoor 12 a filling for access for articles A and is preferablytransparent to allow visual access to the articles A contained therein.Similarly, the floor 13 and ceiling 14 may smoothly merge with the wall12 or may form distinct corners therewith. Those skilled in this artwill recognize that housings of many shapes and configurations may besuitable for use with the present invention.

In the illustrated embodiment, the floor 13 includes a screen 15 orother foraminous member that allows air passage into the housing 11 butnot passage of the articles A out. Similarly, the ceiling 14 includes ascreen 16 or other foraminous member that functions to keep articles Ain, but allow air passage; in this instance the air flows out of thehousing 11. A blower 17 or other device for inducing airflow is attachedto a low pressure plenum 17 a mounted above the screen 16. The blower 17is included to create a negative pressure differential with respect toambient air pressure by drawing air from outside the housing through thescreen 15, into the cavity of the housing 11, and out through the screen16.

The illustrated embodiment also includes a jet nozzle 18 or other jetaperture located on the wall 12. The jet nozzle 18 is oriented to directa jet into the housing 11 toward an exit channel 20 located opposite thehousing from the jet nozzle 18. Access to the nozzle 18 is controlled bya valve 18 a, which is fluidly attached to a positive pressure source 28(described in detail below).

Referring still to FIGS. 1 and 2, at the lower portion of the wall 12,the exit channel 20 extends away from the housing 11 opposite the jetnozzle 18. An article-orienting unit 30 is located at the mouth of theexit channel 20 to singulate articles A entering the exit channel 20.These components are described in detail hereinbelow.

Referring now to FIGS. 3A-3C, the exit channel 20 includes a primarylumen 21 that extends downstream from the article-orienting unit 30 toterminate at an outlet 22. The lumen 21 defines a downstream flow path Ptherein. As used herein, the term “downstream” means the direction thatarticles A travel in moving from the housing 11 to the outlet 22.Conversely, the term “upstream” means the direction opposite thedownstream direction. It should be noted that, relative to an absolutex-y-z coordinate axis system, these directions may shift as articles Amove in the exit channel 20 (for example, in the illustrated embodiment,the articles A move directly away from the housing 11, then turndownwardly). The “longitudinal” dimension of a structure or component isintended to be parallel with the downstream direction, and the“transverse” dimension of a structure or component is intended to benormal to the downstream direction.

In the illustrated embodiment, the lumen 21 has a cross-section thatpermits the passage of only one article at a time; i.e., two or morearticles may not travel in the lumen 21 side-by-side. Preferably, thelumen has a cross-section that generally resembles, but is somewhatlarger than, that of the transverse cross-section of an article Atraveling in the lumen 21. For example, the lumen 21 of the channel 20can be sized to be generally rectangular in cross section, with a heightor width dimension slightly smaller than two minimum dimensions α of thearticles A (see FIGS. 4A and 4C) to prevent the simultaneous passage oftwo articles A.

A forward jet pressure chamber 24 and a rear pressure jet chamber 25 aremounted to the exit channel 20. The forward jet pressure chamber 24 isin fluid communication with the lumen 21 via a pair of forward jetapertures 26 a, 26 b, each of which is oriented at an angle (preferablybetween about 1 and 89 degrees, and more preferably between 5 and 50degrees) relative to the longitudinal axis of the lumen 21 such that ajet exiting the forward jet apertures 26 a, 26 b enhances flow in thelumen 21 toward the outlet 22. The rear pressure jet chamber 25 is influid communication with the lumen 21 via a rear jet aperture 27, whichis oriented at an angle (preferably between about 1 and 89 degrees, andmore preferably between 5 and 50 degrees) relative to the longitudinalaxis of the lumen 21 such that a jet exiting the rear jet aperture 27impedes flow in lumen 21 toward the outlet 22. In some embodiments, anyor all of the forwardly and rearwardly-directed apertures may bearranged in combinations of any number.

A common pressure source 28 is attached to each of the forward and rearpressure jet chambers 24, 25 and, as noted above, the jet nozzle 18. Thepressure is each chamber 24, 25, 18 is regulated by a respective valve29 a, 29 b, 18 a. Those skilled in this art will recognize that thepressure in each chamber 24, 25, 18, or in fact each jet aperture 26 a,26 b, 27, 18, may be controlled by a separate pressure source. Thus, itis to be understood that when separate “first”, “second”, “third” oreven “fourth” pressure sources are described, these pressure sources maybe common (i.e., coincident) sources, or any or all of these may beseparate sources.

An article sensor 23 is positioned near the outlet 22 and is configuredto count passing articles A as they travel through the lumen 21.Exemplary sensors include an opposing LED/photo-transistor pair andreflective, capacitive, or mechanical switches. A controller 40 isoperatively connected with the valves 29 a, 29 b, 18 a and with thesensor 23. The controller 40 causes the valves 29 a, 29 b, 18 a to openor close depending on the number of articles A that have been counted bythe sensor 23 at any particular point in time. The controller 40 can beany number of controller units known to those skilled in this art asbeing suitable for receiving signals from the sensor 23 and transmittingoperating signals to the valves 29 a, 29 b, 18 a; an exemplarycontroller is the 87518-bit micro controller, available from Intel. Itshould be recognized that the controller 40 may be connected directly tothe pressure source 28 (or any other pressure sources in embodiments inwhich multiple pressure sources are employed) to activate them directlyrather than operating the valves.

Referring now to FIGS. 5A-5C, the article-orienting unit 30 has a pairof generally parallel, spaced panels 31 a, 31 b and a third panel 32that is generally perpendicular to the panels 31 a, 31 b. The downstreamends of these panels 31 a, 31 b, 32 abut the mouth of the exit channel20 and their upstream ends extend slightly upstream into the housing 11.One skilled in the art will recognize that the downstream ends of one orall of the aforementioned panels may extend most or all the entirelength of the lumen 21, ensuring that only one article A at a time maypass therein. The panels 31 a, 31 b are spaced apart a distance a, andthe panel 32 is spaced from an upstream portion 20 a of the exit channel20 a distance b, thereby defining an entry space E of the dimensions a×bfor the articles A. The article-orienting unit 30 is particularly suitedfor the singulation of articles A that are oblong or oblate, with alongest longitudinal dimension β, a shortest transverse dimension α, andan intermediate transverse dimension δ that is greater than α but lessthan or equal to β (see FIGS. 4A-4C).

In one embodiment, the distance a is greater than a but less than thesmaller of δ and two times α. In this embodiment, the distance b isgreater than δ but less than the smaller of β and two times δ. In thisconfiguration, the articles A can fit in the entry space E in only oneorientation (that shown in FIG. 5A, in which the dimension α isgenerally parallel to the distance a). In another embodiment, thedistance a is greater than α and δ, but is less than two times α. Inthis second embodiment, the distance b is greater than δ but is lessthan the smaller of β and two times α. In this configuration, thearticle A can fit in the entry space E in any orientation in which β isperpendicular to the distances a, b of the entry space E.

Those skilled in this art will recognize that other configurations forsingulating articles may be suitable. The design and dimensions of analternative article-orienting unit should be chosen to prevent more thanone article A entering the exit channel 20 at once. Furthermore, objectswhose three dimensions are substantially equal (i.e. spheres) will alsopass through the orienting device achieving the desired singulation.Exemplary articles include comestibles such as candies and breath mints,machine components sucha as bolts, nuts and other fasteners, valuablessuch as diamonds and other gemstones, vitamins, and the like. It mayalso be understood that an article-orienting device may be attached atthe outlet 22, with the result that the device 10 may singulate in bothdirections.

In operation, the device 10 begins with the valves 29 a, 29 b of theforward and rear jet chambers 24, 25 closed (as directed by thecontroller 40), such that the pressure source 28 does not provide jetsthrough the jet apertures 26 a, 26 b, 27 or through the jet aperture 18a (see FIG. 3A and Block 200 of FIG. 8). The blower 17 is activated andcreates a low-level negative pressure with respect to ambient airpressure, causing ambient air to be drawn into the housing 11 throughthe bottom screen 15 and onto the articles A, thereby suspending(agitating or fluidizing) them.

The air then passes out through the top screen 16 and past the blower17. This agitation gives the articles A fluid flow characteristicswithin the housing 11 (Block 210). The individual articles A travelrandomly about the interior of the housing 11, or can be made to mimicspecific fluid flow patterns if desired. In addition, airflow isestablished from the exterior of the device 10 backward through the exitchannel 20, inward to the housing 11, and out the top screen 16 to theblower 17. This airflow pattern prevents articles A from spilling out ofthe housing 11 into the exit channel 20.

Those skilled in this art will recognize that other techniques forpreparing articles for singulation may also be employed with the presentinvention. For example, articles in the housing may be mechanicallyagitated through known techniques.

When the controller 40 requests the dispensing and counting of articles,the controller 40 signals the forward jet chamber valve 29 a to open,and a forwardly-directed air jet is generated through the forward jetapertures 26 a, 26 b (see FIG. 3B and Block 220 of FIG. 8). Thisactivity creates a net outward flow of air from the housing 11 throughthe exit channel 20. Preferably, the jets apply a pressure of betweenabout 1 and 500 pounds per square inch into the exit channel 20. Oneskilled in the art will recognize that a number of different variablepressure control methods may be used for a given pressure pulse througha jet, depending on the effect desired (for example to match theimpedance of the object in the channel), including simple square waves,sawtooth, sinusoidal, or complex pressure waveforms. In addition, thecontroller 40 may signal the valve 18 a to open so that the jet nozzle18 emits a jet (preferably of about 1 to 500 psi) that urges articlestoward and through the exit channel 20 (Block 230 of FIG. 8). In thecase where 26 and 27 are only used a vacuum is induced at the entryspace E, with the result that articles A within the influence of thisinduced airflow are drawn to the article-orienting unit 30. In the casewhere only the jet nozzle 18 is used, the high-speed air impinging onthe object propels it towards and through the exit channel. Of courseone skilled in the art will realize that jets 26 and 18 may be used inconcert.

As the articles A are drawn to the entry space E at the entrance to theexit channel 20, their orientation determines whether they are able totravel through the article-orienting unit 30. If an article A isoriented generally parallel to the air flow path with its shortestdimension α generally parallel with dimension a of the entry space E(see FIG. 5A), it is able to fit between the panels 31 a, 31 b, thepanel 32 and the channel wall 20 a and is, therefore, free to travelinto the exit channel 20. If an article A is oriented perpendicular tothe air flow path and generally parallel to panel 32 (see FIG. 5B), itstrikes the upstream ends of the panels 31 a, 31 b (and therefore cannotenter the exit channel 20) and rebounds back into the housing 11 to befurther agitated. If an article A is oriented perpendicular to the airflow path and parallel to the panels 31 a, 31 b (see FIG. 5C), one endof the article A can strike either the panel 32 or the wall 20 a of theexit channel 20 (as is illustrated in FIG. 5C). Contact with the panel32 or of the wall 20 a causes the article A to rotate about 90 degreesto a position parallel to the air flow path, thereby automaticallyorienting the article A such that it is free to enter the exit channel20.

Notably, the article-orienting unit 30 is sized and configured so thatonly one article A can pass through the article-orienting unit 30 at atime. Consequently, articles A enter the exit channel as an endwise (oredgewise), single-file stream.

Referring now to FIG. 3B, once an article A passes into the exit channel20 (Block 240 of FIG. 8), the air flow velocity induced by the jetexiting the forward jet aperture 26 a increases and thus the article Atends to accelerate with that airflow (Block 250 of FIG. 8). Furtheralong the exit channel 20, the article A encounters that jet directlyand so achieves a higher acceleration. Still further downstream in theexit channel 20, the article A encounters the second jet exiting theforward jet aperture 26 b and experiences even higher acceleration.Through each of these stages, the interval between successive articles Ais increased. Those skilled in the art will recognize that operatingwith only one forward jet may achieve adequate results.

As the articles A continue through the exit channel 20, they pass thesensor 23, where the articles A are detected and counted (Block 260 ofFIG. 8). The increased interval created by the multiple accelerationstages encourages accurate counting of the articles A. Also, theinability of the exit channel 20 to permit the passage of more than onearticle A at a time at any single point in the exit channel 20 (i.e.,the articles A cannot pass “side-by-side” through the exit channel 20)also assists the sensor 23 in distinguishing one article A from thenext. The sensor 23 signals the controller 40 with the passage of eacharticle A so that the controller 40 can count the number of articles Athat have passed thereby and compare that number to a predeterminednumber (Block 270 of FIG. 8). Those skilled in this art will recognizethat, although it is preferred that the sensor 23 be positioneddownstream of the forwardly-directed jet apertures 26 a, 26 b, otherlocations for the sensor 23 on the exit channel 20 may also be suitablefor use with the present invention, and that more than one sensor may beused.

After the articles A have passed the outlet 22, they eventually reach apoint that they are no longer under the influence of the jet flows orlow-pressure flow. They are then free to travel to a receiving container(not shown).

The process described above continues until the controller 40 determinesthat a predetermined number of articles has passed the sensor 23, atwhich point the controller 40 signals the valve 29 a to close, whichdeactivates the forward jets (Block 280 of FIG. 8), and signals thevalve 29 b to open to generate a reverse jet from the rear jet aperture27 (see FIG. 3C and Block 290 of FIG. 8). The controller 40 also signalsthe valve 18 a if present to close in order to cease the production ofthe jet from the nozzle 18. The momentum of the articles A that havepassed the sensor 23 propels them out of the exit channel 20 and intothe receiving container. Articles A that have not yet reached the sensor23, however, reverse direction due to the reverse flow created by boththe reverse jet and the sub-ambient pressure generated by the blower 17.Consequently, they return to the housing 11 through thearticle-orienting unit 30 (aided by the fact that the cross-section ofthe lumen 21 of the exit channel 20 prevents the articles A fromre-orienting). This reversal of direction of the articles A is alsoassisted by the interval created by the multiple acceleration stagesdescribed earlier. In some embodiments, the housing 11 may even befilled with articles A through the outlet 22 via the suction provided bythe blower 17 and the rearward jet 27.

Another aspect of this invention is that it some instances it mayoperate adequately without the orienting device. In this case, thecontroller 40 may be used to detect jams at the entrance to the exitchannel (by dint of the lack of passage signals at sensor 23) and so theforward and reverse jets may be pulsed off and on to clear the jam.Typically, this is will reduce the overall speed of the system but thatmay be an acceptable trade in certain applications.

Those skilled in this art will recognize that other designs forcomponents of the device 10 may be suitable for use with the presentinvention. For example, the article-orienting unit 30′ may take theconfiguration of that illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B, which lacks aplate 32. Also suitable is the configuration of an article-orientingunit 100 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. The article-orienting unit 100includes a pair of hinged panels 110 that pivot about a pivot axis 111that is parallel with the flow axis of the exit channel 20. The hingedpanels 110 and the wall 20 a of the exit channel 20 define an entryspace E′ that is generally wedge-shaped and that can, depending on theshape of the article A only permit a single article A to passtherethrough at a time, and to do so in a preferred orientation. Oneskilled in the art will recognize that the downstream ends of the panels110 may extend most or all the entire length of the lumen 21. Oneadvantage of this configuration is the capability of one or both of thepanels 110 to pivot relative to one another to adjust the size of theentry space available to the article A, thereby enabling the device 100to be used on batches of articles that vary in size from batch to batch.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention, and is not to beconstrued as limiting thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of thisinvention have been described, those skilled in the art will readilyappreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplaryembodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings andadvantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications areintended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined inthe claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, withequivalents of the claims to be included therein.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A device for singulating articles from abulk supply of such articles, comprising: a housing for holding articlesto be singulated; an exit channel fluidly connected to the housing andconfigured in cross-section to permit the passage of a single article ata time, the exit channel including a forwardly-directed jet aperture anda rearwardly directed jet aperture being located upstream of theforwardly directed aperture; a first positive pressure source fluidlyconnected to the forwardly-directed jet; a second positive pressuresource fluidly connected to the rearwardly-directed jet; and acontroller operatively connected with the first and second positivepressure sources that selectively controls the application of positivepressure to the forwardly-directed jet apertures.
 2. The device definedin claim 1, further comprising a sensor operatively associated with thecontroller that detects articles passing through the exit channel. 3.The device defined in claim 1, further comprising a secondforwardly-directed jet aperture located downstream of therearwardly-directed aperture, the forwardly-directed aperture beingfluidly connected with a third positive pressure source and with thecontroller.
 4. The device defined in claim 3, wherein the first, secondand third positive pressure sources are coincident.
 5. The devicedefined in claim 1, wherein the first and second positive pressuresources are coincident.
 6. The device defined in claim 1, wherein thehousing includes a jet aperture directed toward the exit channel, thejet being fluidly connected to a fourth positive pressure source, thefourth positive pressure source being operatively connected to thecontroller.
 7. The device defined in claim 1, wherein the housingincludes a floor and an opposing ceiling, and wherein the floor includesa first foraminous member and the ceiling includes a second foraminousmember.
 8. The device defined in claim 1, further comprising anarticle-orienting member positioned upstream of the exit channel.
 9. Thedevice defined in claim 1, wherein said first positive pressure sourceand said forwardly-directed jet aperture are configured to direct a jetof between about 1 and 500 psi into the exit channel.
 10. The devicedefined in claim 1, wherein said second positive pressure source andsaid rearwardly-directed jet aperture are configured to direct a jet ofbetween about 1 and 500 psi into the exit channel.
 11. The devicedefined in claim 6, wherein the housing jet aperture and the fourthpositive pressure source are configured to directed a jet of betweenabout 1 and 500 psi toward the exit channel.
 12. The device defined inclaim 1, further comprising a plurality of substantially identicalarticles to be singulated, the articles being stored in the housing. 13.An article-orienting singulating device, comprising: a housing; an exitchannel attached to and fluidly connected with the housing; anarticle-orienting unit that includes a pair of panels, each of whichincludes an upstream end and a downstream end, positioned with theirdownstream ends adjacent an upstream portion of the exit channel; andwherein the pair of panels and the exit channel upstream portion definean entry space that permits an oblong article to enter only in alongitudinal orientation in which the longest dimension thereof isgenerally parallel to a downstream flow path; and wherein the pair ofpanels and the exit channel upstream portion are spaced such that anoblong article that enters the entry space in a transverse orientationin which its longest dimension is generally perpendicular to thedownstream flow path and that strikes the exit channel upstream portionis caused to re-orient itself to a longitudinal orientation and passinto the exit channel.
 14. The article-orienting singulating devicedefined in claim 13, wherein the panels are generally parallel with eachother.
 15. The article-orienting singulating device defined in claim 14,further comprising a third panel extending between the panels upstreamof the exit channel.
 16. The article-orienting singulating devicedefined in claim 13, wherein the panels are pivotally attached to eachother such that pivotal movement of the panels relative to one anothervaries the configuration of the entry space.
 17. The article-orientingsingulating device defined in claim 13, further comprising a pluralityof substantially identical articles to be singulated, the articles beingstored in the housing.
 18. The article-orienting singulating devicedefined in claim 17, wherein the articles are generally oblong and havea longitudinal dimension, a first transverse dimension and a secondtransverse dimension that is less than the longitudinal dimension andgreater than the first transverse dimension, and wherein the entry spaceis defined by a first distance and a second distance larger than andperpendicular to the first distance, and wherein the first distance isgreater than the first transverse dimension and less than the smaller ofthe second transverse dimension and two times the first transversedimension, and the second distance is greater than the second transversedimension and less than the smaller of the longitudinal dimension andtwo times the second transverse dimension, such that articles may passinto the exit channel through the article-orienting unit one at a timein a longitudinal orientation in which the first transverse dimension isgenerally parallel with the first distance, and the second transversedimension is generally parallel with the second distance.
 19. Thearticle-orienting singulating device defined in claim 17, wherein thearticles are generally oblong and have a longitudinal dimension, a firsttransverse dimension and a second transverse dimension that is less thanthe longitudinal dimension and greater than the first transversedimension, and wherein the entry space is defined by a first distanceand a second distance larger than and perpendicular to the firstdistance, and wherein the first distance is greater than the secondtransverse dimension and less than the smaller of the longitudinaldimension and two times the first transverse dimension, and the seconddistance is greater than the second transverse dimension and less thanthe smaller of the longitudinal dimension and two times the firsttransverse dimension, such that articles may pass through thearticle-orienting device into the exit channel one at a time in multiplelongitudinal orientations.
 20. The article-orienting singulating devicedefined in claim 17, wherein the exit channel is sized and configuredsuch that only one article can pass through any cross-section thereof ata time.
 21. A method of singulating items of substantially identicalsize and configuration from a bulk of such items stored in a housing,comprising the steps of: providing a singulating device comprising ahousing and an exit channel fluidly connected thereto, the exit channeldefining a flow path; applying a forwardly-directed jet into the exitchannel; passing a series of articles in single file into the exitchannel; accelerating articles in the exit channel with theforwardly-directed jet; counting the number of articles that pass apredetermined point in the exit channel; comparing the number ofarticles that have passed the predetermined point with a predeterminednumber; and applying a rearwardly-directed jet into the exit channelafter a predetermined number of articles have passed the predeterminedpoint to draw any additional articles in the exit channel back into thehousing.
 22. The method defined in claim 21, further comprising the stepof applying a jet within the housing toward the exit chamber toencourage the travel of articles toward the exit chamber.
 23. The methoddefined in claim 21, further comprising the step of deactivating theforwardly-directed jet when the predetermined number of articles isreached.
 24. The method defined in claim 21, further comprising the stepof passing air through the housing to suspend the articles storedtherein prior to the passing step.
 25. The method defined in claim 21,further comprising the steps of pulsing at least one of theforwardly-directed jet and the rearwardly-directed jet to clear a jam inthe exit channel.
 26. A device for singulating articles from a bulksupply of such articles, comprising: a housing for holding articles tobe singulated; an exit channel fluidly connected to the housing andconfigured in cross-section to permit the passage of a single article ata time; a jet aperture positioned in the housing and directed toward theexit channel; a positive pressure source fluidly connected to the jetaperture; and a controller operatively connected to the positivepressure source that selectively controls the application of positivepressure to the jet aperture; wherein the housing includes a floor andan opposing ceiling, and wherein the floor includes a first foraminousmember and the ceiling includes a second foraminous member, and furthercomprising an air flow source that draws air into the housing throughthe first foraminous member and out of the housing through the secondforaminous member.
 27. The device defined in claim 26, furthercomprising a plurality of substantially identical articles to besingulated, wherein application of the air flow source causes thearticles to be suspended within the housing.
 28. The article-orientingsingulating device defined in claim 27, wherein the articles aregenerally oblong and have a longitudinal dimension, a first transversedimension and a second transverse dimension that is less than thelongitudinal dimension and greater than the first transverse dimension,and wherein an entry space of the exit channel is defined by a firstdistance and a second distance larger than and perpendicular to thefirst distance, and wherein the first distance is greater than the firsttransverse dimension and less than the smaller of the second transversedimension and two times the first transverse dimension, and the seconddistance is greater than the second transverse dimension and less thanthe smaller of the longitudinal dimension and two times the secondtransverse dimension, such that articles may pass into the exit channelthrough the article-orienting unit one at a time in a longitudinalorientation in which the first transverse dimension is generallyparallel with the first distance, and the second transverse dimension isgenerally parallel with the second distance.
 29. The article-orientingsingulating device defined in claim 27, wherein the articles aregenerally oblong and have a longitudinal dimension, a first transversedimension and a second transverse dimension that is less than thelongitudinal dimension and greater than the first transverse dimension,and wherein an entry space of the exit channel is defined by a firstdistance and a second distance larger than and perpendicular to thefirst distance, and wherein the first distance is greater than thesecond transverse dimension and less than the smaller of thelongitudinal dimension and two times the first transverse dimension, andthe second distance is greater than the second transverse dimension andless than the smaller of the longitudinal dimension and two times thefirst transverse dimension, such that articles may pass through thearticle-orienting device into the exit channel one at a time in multiplelongitudinal orientations.